Hyrule or Termina?

[Petman1325]

I am not speaking of which game is better, but which overworld was better: Ocarina of Time's Hyrule or Majora's Mask's Termina? I am also not speaking of specific landscapes. By that, I do not want you to say "I like Hyrule because of Kokiri Forest," but to much rather summarize all of the places that make you prefer one of the overworlds. With that said, I guess I should go first.

I pick Hyrule. It resembles something semi-realistic that is not just organized into four directions. Sure, Termina was more realistic due to the fact that Snowhead and Ikana Canyon were close together (Both were rough and rocky structures), and the same with Southern Swamp and Great Bay. Ocarina of Time's overworld felt larger to me, yet Termina was also better themed. Termina actually made it look large, yet compact, yet Hyrule also had dynamic transitions, rather than just a bridge or something.

[ChargewithSword]

I cannot choose between either. I love Hyrule for it's emptiness which gives me a sense of enjoyment and freedom for doing nothing. The fact it also looked wonderfully really for me as a land of mystery and adventure waiting around every corner.

Termina is a beautiful world made of bright colors and dark secrets. While it is fairly crowded, it gives me a sense of duty and fear. This emotion is what games need today. With that moon watching my every move, I feel like I must commence my duty.

[the walrus cat]

I choose Termina, and here's why.

Realism

Both are designed pretty similar. The center is a field. Then it has surrounding areas. In Hyrule, the surrounding areas seemed to be built like this:

(town)-Perhaps narrow, amount of land that's main purpose seems to be to put space between locations-(town)-Extra location, housing a temple

Non parenthesis means always there, towns could be on either side, or both.

The patterns quite common, isn't it?

(Kakariko Village)-Death mountain-(Goron Village)-Death Mountain Crater.

(Kokiri Forest)-Lost woods-Sacred forest Meadow.

Zora river-(Zora's domain)-Zora's fountain.

Gerudo Valley-(Gerudo Fortress)-Haunted wasteland-Desert colossus.

(Hyrule market)-Hyrule castle/-tower

So, it mainly follows the pattern I posted above.

Then in Termina, the four surrounding locations are more like one big area with related points of interest, but it's still somewhat similar to Hyrule. Overall I think termina wins for realism, due to certain areas feeling, perhaps less isolated and small? As well as being less..similar in being set up?

Elements/themes

(sorry if that's not a good word to describe it)
Termina uses some areas that haven't been seen many times in the zelda series. I will compare the two's areas and element.

italics=termina, bold=hyrule

Greenery/earth=Forest and Swamp
Mountain=Fire and Ice
Water=lake and Ocaen
Spirit/Shadow=Desert, Graveyard and Canyon/valley of...the dead.

This is kind of opinion based... I liked the areas of Termina better, and I also think Majora's mask should get ..something either way just for exploring other types of locations. So, for me, Termina.

In relation to gameplay/content

Termina had more heart pieces to earn, as well as much more story/main game related stuff to do in non dungeon areas. So... Termina also wins there in my opinion.

[Deku Scrub]

I'd say Termina. While it's field area around Clock Town isn't as open and free, it does have much more to do (More enemies, more obstacles, more fun). Then the parts branching out from the overworld are much more developed and filled up with stuff.

I'm not saying Hyrule's not good, but I prefer Termina. I just don't like the blank open space, it's too...boring.

[Axle the Beast]

I picked Termina.

It was just a much more fantastic world. It felt a bit strange and surreal, and I loved that. The areas and world were more colorful and odd. I did however find Termina Field to be a little annoying, but that's just a minor detail. I still liked it better than Hyrule Field in Ocarina of Time.

I like high fantasy. And Termina was more of that for me. That's one reason I don't really dig Twilight Princess so much, because it has more realistic environments.

[knowlee]

I choose Termina. Not that I don't like Hyrule or anything, I love Hyrule, it's just that I prefer Termina more. The main reason why is because of the fact that Termina was only used in one game, compared to Hyrule who's practically been in almost all of the Zelda games. After Hyrule's many appearances I've come to expect what I would see in Hyrule when I play a Zelda game with that world as the environment. Termina, however, is a different matter.

As I stated before, Termina was only used once and because of that I found myself intrigued by it. When I first got the game and was allowed to go out and explore the world outside of Clocktown's walls, I remember thinking to myself, "I must go exploring and figure out what this place looks like! Onward!" ...okay, I didn't exactly say it like that, but you get the general idea. :)

Termina didn't have any landmarks in it that you had come to expect to see in Zelda games (ie: Lake Hylia, Hyrule Castle, Kakariko Village, etc.). Instead it had all sorts of new places and things that made it become a place that I wanted to explore. I wanted to know what was in every nook and cranny in Termina. It was that different to me.

Hyrule did give me a feeling of wanting to explore it, but it doesn't give me that much of a need as Termina did.

[Steve]

I prefer Hyrule, and here's why, because it's absolutely different in each game. The only difference we see is notable landmarks, but otherwise, the layout always varies. They could give each version a different name because of it. I love Hyrule, it's vast and gives you a nice feel of nostalgia when you play, but on top of that it is more empty and not overcrowded.

[Shadow Wolfo]

Termina for sure. It had new and more monsters,it had diffrent places/secrets.

Had all the features as hyrule did.(or almost)

[Golem]

Termina, definitely. I agree with a lot of what people said above about Termina. Every square foot of space felt necessary in that game, or at least more necessary than it was in Hyrule--Hyrule Field is just too empty IMO. Plus, Termina's just a really weird place, and I find that charming.

However--there's definitely a sort of charm to the consistency in overworlds between Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time, and I loved how Wind Waker sort of updated that familiar space.

[Juxtor]

I would have to choose Hyrule just because i have been so impressed as to how much history has been created this make believe world. Termina is also great but the word "Hyrule" has a certain charm that many gaming worlds have attempted to achieve but not close.

[jamalthegiraffe]

I found this a hard question to answer. I picked Termina in the end though. Termina Seemed more diverese, while most of Hyrule seemed pretty similar. Lake Hylia didn't seem like a water themed area, just another part of Hyrule Feild. The Great Bay was a true water area. Termina was more fun to explore. Some parts of Hyrule, like Death Mountain Path, were a little boring. Compare that to Ikana Canyon, and it is pretty obvious, to me, which one was better.

Hyrule did have its ups though. It had a more realistic landsacpe and was more beliveable. It was also used so many times that it is a classic location, while Termina was unfortunatly only used once.

[Clucluclu]

I like Termina for its design and Hyrule for its size and diversity, so I can't really choose.

On a side note, does anyone know what the energy thing that Mikau can do actually does? (Other than waste magic)

[MrMosley]

On a side note, does anyone know what the energy thing that Mikau can do actually does? (Other than waste magic)

Hopefully we'll not get off topic with this one, but I'll answer it for ya. The energy shield thingy, electric deal just kills enemies. Like if you swimming, you do it when those fish are coming at you and it kills them.

[x-Link-x]

I like Termine for the one fact that is has more 'attractions' than Hyrule really. The over world of Hyrule was pretty empty, there were hardly any monsters out there or anything else to explore. I mean sure there was always the occasional cave or mystery, but it was never something, how can we say it? 'worth visiting again'
Hyrule was bigger, but what gets me is how empty it was, that's my main reason for chosing Termina over Hyrule.

[Zeruda]

I pick Hyrule. It resembles something semi-realistic that is not just organized into four directions. Sure, Termina was more realistic due to the fact that Snowhead and Ikana Canyon were close together (Both were rough and rocky structures), and the same with Southern Swamp and Great Bay. Ocarina of Time's overworld felt larger to me, yet Termina was also better themed. Termina actually made it look large, yet compact, yet Hyrule also had dynamic transitions, rather than just a bridge or something.
This is pretty much how I feel. While Termina has its own unique touches, I prefer Hyrule because it really feels vast. There are parts in the game that, while you can't access the, you know there is more. For instance, in Kakariko Village's graveyard, I used to use the hovering glitch to go a little higher than what was allowed. Of course, the map would end and I'd fall into eternal nothingness, but still, you know that it was designed to make it feel like there's more than what you're accessing during your quest. There are canyons and vast forests that you only see so much of. While the town isn't as detailed as Termina's Clock Town, there is just as much hustle and bustle with tons of NPCs. I was so surprised when I turned into Adult Link and found out that, at the bottom of that big, beautiful lake, there was actually a temple! I never guessed that'd have been there when I first picked the game up.

The beginning of Majora's Mask only added to the wonder and mystery of Hyrule. When Link was wandering through the woods, I so wished I could have explored that area more thoroughly in Ocarina of Time. Exploring in Termina was great fun, but after a while you can pretty much reach all of it. The only place that left me wondering was the ocean, because I wanted to venture out and see what more was there.... but Hyrule left me wondering about that in almost every area. It was also very interesting to see the areas tied together. You could reach Zora's Domain through a shortcut in The Lost Woods, and you could reach Lake Hylia through a shortcut in Zora's Domain. And those little shortcuts weren't random, either- they made sense. Water from Zora's Domain created a small pool of water in the woods, and the passageway from ZD to LH made you imagine underground rivers. There were streams in the overworld that I used to love following.

While Termina had some interesting areas, I feel like the landscape in Hyrule all tied together nicely, even if they were on opposite ends of the map. Some places were so mysterious.... like the desert, and seeing the pyramids in the distance if you played the Song of Storms. OoT left me wanting to explore more than I actually could, and that only added to it's splendor.

[ShellShocker]

I'm stuck between the two.

Hyrule was a large land with magical creatures and many races. It was fun to explore and find all the little secrets. Hyrule had many things, like a large volcanic mountain, a big lake and a large forest. All the places in Hyrule of Ocarina of Time were really cool and it was fun to run around and look at the magnificent views. It was also cool how Hyrule had many different kinds of places.

Termina was an awesome place. It had great areas. I loved Ikana and the whole story behind it. Like Hyrule, Termina was really fun to explore and it was fun to find all the secrets in it. I love Snowhead Mountain, it was cool how you could see it in both Spring and Winter. The winter theme was quite sad, yet the spring one was bright and colourful, which made it really cool. I liked seeing an ocean in this game, but it would have been cool to see a mini game there in which you could search for sunken treasure.

They're both really great places, so I choose both. :)

[Kitsu]

Honestly, I love both Hyrule and Termina.

Hyrule, as I believe someone else said, has that 'vast' sort of feel. When I traverse Hyrule field on horseback, I really get the feeling of exploring a large kingdom, and another world. I rather like the way the overworld in Hyrule sort of 'smoothly' transitions between the different areas and climates.

On the other hand, I always enjoy exploring Termina because it feels so filled with things to do. I feel like there's not enough time to see everything (although that is more of a reality than a feeling) and I want to hurry and explore things. Yet, contradictory to this, I want to take my time and wander around Clock Town and see the various sights and things there. Especially I like watching the people go about their daily lives there.

I really can't say which I like more, because they both have things I really like. On the one hand, I enjoy walking, or riding Epona across Hyrule field, I actually like its emptiness at times, how it seems so vast and open. But at the same time, I like all there is to do in Termina.

[MrMosley]

Termina. Hyrule was empty, as most people have already noted. It was vast, but empty. There really wasn't as much going on as I felt there could have been, especially for the Adult portion of the game. With Termina, you had that wild, other-worldly design, which I love. You had characters of which were almost all interesting. The music, scenery, all of this came together to make the feel of the game right. In Hyrule's case, everything was bland. I would expect turmoil, more destruction, and more monsters to be roaming around in the Adult portion, and a world full of life in the Child. We got that, but at a very low degree.

[Durion]

I like both Hyrule and Termina pretty much the same as each other as In my opinion each have their good points and bad points. Anyway, onto the explaining of why, I will, instead of doing the whole of Hyrule and then Termina I will do each respective section and there counter parts from the other game:

Hyrule, The Kokiri Forest: I did like the Kokiri Forest but that was I was young, I know have a disliking towards the Kokiri Forest, I don't little village, It has a strange build and the buildings look horrible, If they had left the tree's to grow to their full size and had it so several house's were in one tree, I would have prefered the area but as it is, I don't. It doesn't have a nice feel to it and it doesn't feel like a forest, Not what you would expect from a supposed 'Forest'.

Termina, The Swamp: I loved the feel of the Swamp, It is like a counter part to the Kokiri Forest and Lake Hylia in one, It has the attractions and it is also a forest like area. It has a good feel and I like the look of the area. It is put together well in my opinion and it actually works. I love the fact that the Deku's actually have a civilisation there and a monarchy.

The Swamp area of Termina winning my first vote. Hyrule 0: Termina 1

Hyrule, Death Mountain: I loved Death Mountain, The feeling I got from the Goron City was great and the mountain looked like it should, unlike the forest village in this game, It had a great tribal feeling in the city as well. Even on the actual mountain it felt right, The Mountain firing out chunks of rock was something that I didn't think they would do but they did, It all added to the feel of the area. The inside of the Mountain looked and felt good as well. Also the Fire Temple looked like it had been carved into a mountain.

Termina, Snowhead: Snowhead was a great mountain area, It had the correct weather for a mountain and it had a great feel making you way up to the mountain so you could start your climb on the way to Showhead Temple, The Goron racing area was also an excellent area which looked like it was meant to look and that it should be on a mountain. The area that let Snowhead down was the Goron City there, It had a horrible feel compared to that of Hyrule, I hated being there before clearing the weather and after, I didn't like the build of the area, The only area that felt normal was the little shop (I think it was a shop) that lead down into a cave like area where you got the explosive Keg from.

Death Mountain of Hyrule winning my second vote. Hyrule 1: Termina 1

Hyrule, Zora's Domain: The area leading up to the Zora's Domain is a bit of a let down, I don't like the feel of it because of the random pillars in the middle of the Waterfall and then the path that leads up feels un-natural. The actual domain itself though is great, It works out well and looks great, The fact that there was a lake that lead to a waterfall was a good thing as well. I liked being there but unfortunatly I hated it when it froze over, It felt horrible being there as an adult.

Termina, The Great Bay: The central area of the Great Bay felt good, Especially the area where you had to kill all the eel's in the holes to get a Heart Piece, That felt natural and had a good feel, It is great swimming around as a Zora around this area. The area is let down though by the other half, That being the area where you have to get on the Tortoise/Land Mass thing to get to the Great Bay Temple. This area felt horrible and looked horrible, It was even worse when I got to the area where the Zora band is about to play a gig.

So, with this one they both get my vote. Hyrule 2: Termina 2.

Hyrule, The Gerudo Fortress: The Gerudo Fortress was a great area to be in, It was a cool little civilisation way out from everywhere else, It looks cool as well. It feels very tribe like. The build of the area is good as well, Unlike the Kokiri Forest where the buildings are just scattered everywhere.

Termina, The Gerudo Fortress: I know that is not the real name, I forgot, going back on subject..., This area also was good, but only on the lake area outside of it, The actual Fortress was the worst fortress structure I have ever seen. It looked and felt horrible to be in which contradicts the feelings I get being on the water area. To be frank though, this fell way short of the Hyrule Fortress.

As you can see, Hyrule once again gets my vote. Hyrule 3: Termina 2

The deciding vote now.....

Hyrule, Hyrule Town & Castle: Hyrule Castle had a great feel both under the rule of Zelda's father and Ganondorf himself. It looked good and it looked like it should for each respective reign and had a good design for a castle. The Town though was a little....lacking shall I say, For the most important area of Hyrule you would expect the town to be a lot bigger with more buildings and shops, instead of a few mini-games and a shop or 2. It did look pretty good for a town though.

Termina, Clock Town: Clock Town is great, It feels like a real town and it has the size to be one. This is my favourite main town in any Zelda game, It looks good for a town and it has the facilities to be one. It has many shops that are specialised unlike those of Hyrule Town and many mini-games to take part in. It looks good and I love being there, There is working community that you can clearly see and a few different race's are also living there. This include's Human's (Though their real race I am unsure of), Deku's and some a few Goron's if I remember correctly.

My last vote here goes to Clock Town of Termina. Hyrule 3: Termina 3.

This is now being edited, Thanks to ChargewithSword I now have the decider, Here it is:

Hyrule, Kakariko Graveyard & The Shadow Temple: I am comparing this to Ikana Graveyard and Castle so I need to use the Shadow Temple.

I hated the Graveyard here, Even though it felt more realistic than MM's it still don't like it, It is small and boring. I just don't like being there, At night it is even more annoying fending off the Poe's, They are not exactly hard but there just annoying. The underground area is cool though, Where you get the Song of Time's and where you have to keep up with Dampe. I liked that area, it was cool but not what I expected to find there.

The Shadow Temple though....is a completely different story, I love that place, The design of the place is awesome, The blood on the walls and the enemies in there, They are some of the creepiest in OoT, Some of the most annoying as well....*cough* Wall Master *cough*. The boss here is awesome as well, Hard to beat on your first try.

Termina, Ikana Graveyard & Ikana Castle: My opinion on this one is the exact opposite of its conterpart in OoT, I love the Graveyard here but I hate Ikana Castle.

Ikana Graveyard is great, Even though less realistic than OoT's Graveyard (in the sense of the arrangement of today's Graves arrangements and OoT's one), but it is more realistic by today's standards, Ikana Graveyard is much more what I would think a graveyard would look like around the time period that a Zelda game would be made. I like the Stalchildren that are there, That is where I think you would find something that seems to be undead, Not roaming in a field at night. I also like the underground section of this Graveyard more than that of OoT's, It seems.....cooler to explore and you also find a ghost down there like in OoT.

Moving onto the downside of this area.....Ikana Castle, I hated this place, The feel of it was bad and it looked bad, Especially for a Castle where the undead are roaming in and around. In my opinion this is the worst thought out place in the whole of MM, If it had the visual looks or similar to that of the Shadow Temple it would rank much higher than that in my favourite place's in MM but it doesn't. I don't like the boss/Mini-boss there either, I don't know why, just don't, it was too easy.

Thanks to that last section this is my final score. Hyrule 4: Termina 3

as you can see thanks to that last section Hyrule is the winner for me, This will contradict with what I said earlier in my post but thats because I only got visual rememberance of Ikana Castle through a video. I still like both Hyrule and Termina though.

[Immortal_One]

Judging on the size, feel and ease of access on both, I'd have to choose Termina. The overworld is a lot bigger than Hyrule, and there's a lot more going on. There's plenty to do in Termina, places to explore, mini-quests to do, and masks to be acquired. I think the reason why they made Termina bigger was because they simply had to. The overworld was a goldmine for mini-quests and and heart pieces. Hyrule was nothing but a means of getting from area to dungeon to area. There wasn't too much to do aside from a few heart pieces and some Poes to catch.

Also, you get an ominous feel to the aura of Termina. Not just because of the "three day" thing, but also because of the atmosphere in general. You recognize everything in Termina as you would a lot of things in Hyrule, yet they're different. You see Gorons, Zora, Deku, Gerudo and a few other races of creatures you became familiar with in Hyrule, but it's in a totally different setting. That's another great thing with Majora, it did a fantastic job of presenting a universe parallel to Hyrule.

Another thing I adored about Majora was the Clock Town theme. The three themes were some of the best songs in the entire series. They added to the foreboding feeling of destruction you got from Termina itself. Termina Field's theme was great too. It's theme felt a lot more serious than Hyrule Field's did. In short, Termina's overworld was a lot more serious and ominous as opposed to Hyrule's overworld which was more ambitious and heroic.

[Brandikins]

Termina is leading right now I guess. I voted for both for they were both very good worlds. I wish they would put Termina in another game, that would be awesome.

[Dragonlord86]

I voted for both.If I had to choose which is my favorite,it would be......Termina!Just loved the layout better and would love to see Termina in TP style graphics.

[Master Kokiri 9]

Hyrule was larger and more realistic. I liked it better.:P